Posts by willyloman

49

More decption in Feb 1 WT

by why144000 in

jw
friends

how is this for deceptive writing.

in the feb 1 2004 watchtower under the title 'how can you satisfy your spiritual needs' the artice gives three examples of professional people who have become witnesses, a doctor, a lawyer and an architect.

all come complete with two pictures each.

willyloman

Years ago we had a young man move to our congregation. He had just graduated from a University with an engineering degree and started working at a large local manufacturing firm. He was early 20's, a handsome guy, and all the sisters were a'twitter. Working in service with him, he told me his story. He had always wanted to be an engineer and was a straight-A's student in high school, excelling at math. His father sent him to college after graduation. This cost his father his eldership, and the boy and the rest of his family was virtually shunned by the congregation for several years (but not "officially," they just weren't invited to dinner anywhere).

I was really impressed with his courage and told him so. We had several successful professional elders in our congo and we embraced the kid. Soon he was a MS. A wealthy elder made sure his good looking pioneer daughter "interfaced" often with the young engineer and soon there was a big wedding. With the kid's job, his wife didn't need to work and continued pioneering. Today they're at Bethyl, where he was asked to come and help out (and, no, he never did become a regular pioneer).

See a pattern here? Kid and family are ostracized for disobeying the Society's no-college counsel, but then, when they need an engineer, who ya gonna call? It's this kind of sh** that drives JWs crazy.

11

10 Years and I Haven't Died at Armageddon Yet!

by Swan in

jw
friends

this was the letter i sent to the judicial committee of my congregation ten years ago today:.

"due to changes in my life that are in conflict with the teachings of jehovah's witnesses, i no longer want to be known as one of jehovah's witnesses.

that is all i am willing to say on the matter, so there is no need for the committee to visit me.".

willyloman

Gary B made two strong points that need repeating:

They were absolutely positively dead wrong about every single thing they told me and they have not delivered on one promise they made...

Their books are absolutely worthless.

23

Put in time or be disassociated!

by VM44 in

jw
friends

in a recent thread, metatron wrote:(recent change: the inactive need to put in time or be disassociated).

when was this policy introduced!

seems rather harsh!.

willyloman

Here's an experience that illustrates what's being discussed on this thread:

Not having been to a meeting in a couple of months, the book study conductor called to see how I was doing. I had been expecting his call and took it. I told him my health problems hadn't improved and it was still very difficult for me to get to meetings, and in addition we had taken a vacation to get some r & r and then had a house full of company for a week. All those things impacted our meeting attendance, but we were determined to do better going forward (I did not specify a date).

His response?

"That's good, I'll tell (the PO) we don't have anything to worry about, then."

I'm sure he didn't mean to reveal that much by his comment, but it is telling, isn' it?

11

10 Years and I Haven't Died at Armageddon Yet!

by Swan in

jw
friends

this was the letter i sent to the judicial committee of my congregation ten years ago today:.

"due to changes in my life that are in conflict with the teachings of jehovah's witnesses, i no longer want to be known as one of jehovah's witnesses.

that is all i am willing to say on the matter, so there is no need for the committee to visit me.".

willyloman

Tammy: That's just lovely! Thanks. It's a wonderful world.

16

I Beat The Tower, and So Can You

by D8TA in

jw
friends

there wont be any one-shot wonders to bring the mighty dark watchtower crumbling down.

no magic rings to destroy, no torpedoes that are to be launced in some weak spot to make the whole damn thing explode.

there is a way to beat the tower, and already the process of it s destruction has begun.

willyloman

The Watchtower will be like the Shakers, only without the fine furniture.

Ironic, isn't it, that after almost 125 years, if they disappeared tomorrow, this group will have left behind absolutely NOTHING of any value to show for their efforts!

(Except, perhaps, for some of us).

29

"Apostates"! Do You Know We Control the Watchtower - BY REACTION?

by metatron in

jw
friends

once upon a time, a very long time ago, i told a wayward witness friend of mine that i thought that the society was fascist.. he immediately corrected me "nope, they're reactionary".. he was right!

.. and that's the beauty of it!.

for many of us, reform of the watchtower has become a fool's dream.

willyloman

stilla: at the last WT study we attended, my wife, a long-time, by the book, party-line dub and certified congo pillar, was so angry about the topic that she read her answer right out of the paragraph!

This was significant because she has ALWAYS answered in her own words for 30 years and took a scant view of those (over 21) who couldn't formulate a thought and had to read the answers as written.

I remarked about it later and she said she felt compelled, out of habit, to answer at least once and contribute SOMETHING to the meeting, but "I didn't trust myself to answer the question unscripted." I knew then the end was near, and happily it was. We haven't been back.

If the elders were as sharp as some above have suggested, they'd have recognized that as a sign, but they missed it.

16

I Beat The Tower, and So Can You

by D8TA in

jw
friends

there wont be any one-shot wonders to bring the mighty dark watchtower crumbling down.

no magic rings to destroy, no torpedoes that are to be launced in some weak spot to make the whole damn thing explode.

there is a way to beat the tower, and already the process of it s destruction has begun.

willyloman

Jay: Nice job of expressing the the way we all feel when we finally taste freedom. It is an individual effort, and everyone has to find their own path. But it's nice we have each other to talk to. If we never "see" you again, have a wonderful life.

104

Are You Going To The Memorial This Year?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think it's april 4th.

(i think).

are you going?

willyloman

"I won't attend a ceremony that must be an affront to God."

Of all the posts so far, this makes the most sense to me. I believe we will skip it this year, for the first time in 30 years, just to see how well our fade is working. So far, it seems to be going better than expected.

150

The dubs at "Witness World" are discussing UN involvement!!!!!

by somebodylovesme in

i am a lurker on the "witness world" witnesses-only website.

they are having a discussion because someone during door-to-door service confronted them with the un letter.

they are all saying that it is "obviously made up"... but the person is planning on writing to the society to ask.

willyloman

Sassy said:

But you know what touched me all at first, wasn't the threads about deep UN stuff.. about questioning the 'generation change', etc... it was the threads where you all talked about your scars.. your frustration and difficulty in life as a JW.. I could relate to that and then it hit me.. you all knew what you were talking about!.. Then I began to read the other stuff with an open mind.

Another entry in the "Best Writing Of the Year" contest.

46

(As promised) BETHEL TRIP part 7. Loosing my balance

by seven006 in

jw
friends

as i was trying to settle into my new life i constantly plagued myself with questions about where i had been and a bigger question, where i was going.

in the mid eighties there wasn't easy access to any exjw's to ask questions and help me through a very difficult transition in my life.

today the internet offers a lot of support through a large collection of exjw's from all over the world who offer many various options based on their own personal experience on where to go once you are out of the cult.

willyloman

Dave: Just want to join the chorus and thank you for writing your story.

I think it's important for people on this board, of all ages, to hear periodically from people who have put in something close to 50 years on this planet and have some perspective, people who have been there, done that and lived to tell about it.

I read and hear the anguish of young(er) men and women on this board and want to say, "In time, you'll see it differently and you'll get better." But I don't, because that sounds patronizing, and, besides, they probably won't believe it anyway.

But life stories like yours make the point way more powerfully. As a bonus, your story also attracts a number of quality replies and together all these posts demonstrate, once again, what a powerful tool for recovery this board is.